Janet Hazelton, NSNU President

Janet Hazelton has been the President of the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union (NSNU) since October 2002.

She graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from St. Francis Xavier University, located in her hometown of Antigonish.  For most of her nursing career she has been employed at Colchester Hospital in Truro, Nova Scotia. Early on in her career she recognized that she and her co-workers needed a stronger voice where matters of compensation, employee safety and work-life issues were concerned.  Thus, in 1987 her career as a union activist and advocate for health care and nursing issues was launched. Her volunteer involvement in the NSNU enabled her to pursue additional education in labour relations and ultimately led her to the positions of Second Vice-President followed by Secretary-Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the NSNU. 

In addition to advocating and negotiating on behalf of the NSNU membership, this full-time position comes with the added responsibility of sitting on numerous committees, including the Provincial Nursing Network and extensive work with the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Health Care Committee.

In 2001, Janet sat as a committee member on the NS Workers’ Compensation Review Committee. The Committee prepared a report entitled “The Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Program: A Focused Review.”

She has been on the Board of Directors for the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia since 2005, and the National Executive Board of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions. She is also the NSNU Trustee for the Nova Scotia Health Employees’ Pension Plan.

Her extremely high public profile keeps her busy fulfilling media requests, accepting speaking engagements, and meeting one on one with her key stakeholders - Nurses. On behalf of the NSNU Janet adamantly supports the right to public and accessible health care for all Nova Scotians, not just those living in densely populated areas of the province.

In 2010, Janet completed her Masters Degree in Public Administration from Dalhousie University.

In the midst of her many professional commitments, this Truro resident and mother of two, is still very active in her community.

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